My youth group were on a weekend away this weekend. I got this text quite early on saturday morning, about 9am. The young people had already been up since 6am and I was beginning to get to the end of my tether, far too early for my liking. I double checked my phone and saw this text, Jesus words changed my whole attitude toward the day. I could have continued in my bad mood, but I think Jesus saved me (and the young people). The awesome timing of God extends beyond everyhing! Yeay!

Whereas Jesus was holding a physical child, and I believe caring for children is very important,I also believe that “the least among you is greatest” could apply to veterans of foreign wars, people who are physically challenged, the homeless, kids who are bullied… people who are marginalized by society at large It is those that I believe we need to welcome and protect and make sure that they feel welcome among us atwork at play at school and at church.

found myself in a child free environment until after midnight when suddenly the road filled with street children - come to beg at prime time with Saturday night revellers

I am enjoying Lucy Moore’s exciting book “Messy Church”. This gives an alternative to “Sunday School” (linked to the Sunday Service for adults) to welcome children (and the not-so-young) into the Church and help them get to know our Lord. It has been an eye-opener for me to realise that activities like this can be separate from traditional “Sunday Church” and are equally valid forms of worship/mission. Many of you will know about Messy Church and other Fresh Expressions activities. Let us all pray for their continued growth, and help where we can. Peter.

Jesus says “whoever welcomes this child in my name…”
Who here represents Christ?  The person doing the welcoming, or the child being welcomed?
Read on.
Clearly, the child represents our saviour.  Moreover, he represents our God.
The God who said “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” seems also to be saying “This child is mine;  I am trusting him to your care.”  If our friend asked us to look after her child, would we let that child live in filth, drink dirty water, scavenge for food, go unschooled?  So, if our God asks us …?

Throughout my life I have been involved with young people, prefering to run church associated groups because they had a purpose/aim. Today it is almost impossible to get people to run young peoples groups, and we hear loads of excuses about time. Time, my friend is God’s gift to you and if hand on heart you can say I have no time then so be it but don’t moan about the young people of today both those in and out of our churches. Come on and get your hands dirty, it is so rewarding to see a child grow and blossom through unconditional love.

For many years, I worked in primary school with children with emotional and behavioural problems.  A big challenge, which was nearly always very upsetting.  I wanted to change their world and the things that had happened to them.  I showed them love, kindness, patience, stability and commitment.  I prayed for them, and for me to cope.  Then I realised I couldn’t change their lives in a huge way so if I could teach them one thing which they remembered into adult life, however simple, (maybe just to say thank you), I, with God’s help, had done a good job.

Children are not the least in our society. They are indulged (materially)  as never before. But they are the least in our churches. Services are mainly geared to adults and anyone who wants to organise something that appeals to children or teenagers has a great struggle against the status quo and people who want things to stay as they are. That is why the age profiles of most of our churches are so skewed towards the over 50s. Yet Jesus said we have to accept the Kingdom of Heaven as a little child. If we don’t welcome children, we won’t recognise what that looks like.

Children will become our future.  We have responsibility to love them, nurture their faith and preserve their innocence.  Children are becoming increasingly vulnerable in our secular society, with traditional Christian values being eroded away bit by bit.  Jesus said:
“if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea”  Matthew 18:6

As I read this it immediately struck me how insular we have become as a society. We see other people’s children misbehave and often those around are not bothered to say anything as ‘it’s not my child’. In doing so we have lost the advantages of raising children collectively as a community/society where all the adults around feel accountable for the children even if they are not biologically ours.I feel welcoming a child in Jesus name goes further than just a superficial hello. I involves nurturing and caring for that child as we would for our own. Food for thought!

Another day when I am challenged to look at a world turned upside down; where the comfort of the familiar is removed. Welcoming God is not the challenge here. The real challenge is whether I am ready to welcome those people I usually try to avoid - the child in Church who ‘interupts’ my time with God, the beggar in the street who asks for some spare change.  After that loving God will be easy…